Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-22
POSTAL TELEGRAPAY.

For those who have not carefully con-
| sidered the postal telegraph question, and
who have been inclined to favor such a
project, we would respectfully refer the
following article from the Cincinnati
Commercial. These are some pungent
points well worthy of consideration:
Air. Terrence Powderly is a very sick
man. He has had to carry heavy load
Of responsibility under the fretting worry
of excessive fault finding. and he has
done his work with an excess of friction
upon body and mind that has at length
used up his health. He made the mis-
take the other day of uttering a most ex
travagant trade upon the Western Union
Telegraph company, singing out
Mr.. Jay Gould for harsh
language, and demanding that the gov
eminent should establish postal tele
graph. Jay Gould rules absolutely the
destinies of the American people, says
Mr. Powderly, land he is the practical
owner of that part of the United States
which he wishes p take.
Mr.. Powderly is misinfOrmed and mis-
leading. Mr.. Gould is the largest owner
of Western Union stock and has other
profitable investments, but his money
does not make him a ruler, absolute or
otherwise. Upon the whole the Western
Union Telegraph company does its work
wonderfully well, and is better example
of good business for the people than the
postal system in the British islands, gives
better service and reader redress. But
that aside; wish to call the attention of
the Knights of Labor to the following
points:
First-But one million of the sixty
millions of people Of the United States
use the telegraph.
Second-Only 5per cent Of the tele-
grams sent relate to social, domestic
and personal affairs.
Third-Nearly 80 per cent of the tele
graphing is between pool rooms relating
to sports, and between the big and little
Wall streets of the country, and the
rest is the press.
There is no personal power in the pro-
prietorship of the wires, because there
cannot by any possibility be supervision
or any form of restraint upon the trans
mission of intelligence. The Western
Union Telegraph company does not con-
troll the news or the newspapers, The
whole theory based upon the proposition
that the Geographic company is a news
monopoly is absolutely false and without
foundation.
The New York and Western and other
associated presses are not subject to the
Western Union company, or subordi
mated by it in any. shape whatever.
They are its largest Individual or corpor-
ate customers, and have too often and
too much been rather in antagonism
than cooperation with the telegraph
company. The Western Union tele-
graphers own the channels through
which the news passes, but have as little
to do with the control of the news as
they have with guiding the winds.
If theKnights ofLabor want postal tele
graphy, it must be for one of two reasons
that is, either to reduce the rates, to
put them down as in the case OF the
mails, to cost or below: or give the gov
eminent an enlarged administration, and
add to the standing army of office hold
ers the whole force of telegraphers
throughout the country.
The first proposition. reduced to pecu-
mary prose, is that fifty-nine millions of
the people OF the United States are to be
taxed for the benefit of one million, es-
pecially to cheaper the circulation of
speculative and sporting news. The
workingmen would be expected to put
their hands i'll their pockets to pay the
most important item in running the ma
chinery of Wall street and other gamb-
ling.
The second proposition under this head
is that it would place the government in
the position of overlooking the private
correspondence of the people who use
the telegraph, and it would reinforce the
Democratic party on the eve Of presi
Dental election.